Newby

JoelHightower said:

Thanks guys...I need all the info/advise I can get. Reloading is not inexpensive but fun. After reloading I want to look into headspacing. I am not a percison range shooter just a hunter. this hobby was showed to me by a fellow fisherman. I have enjoyed looking for components and supply's . Looking forward to being able to make my own ammunition. thanks for all the information and advice.

Click to expand...

You might consider a Lee Classic turret press instead of Progressive like I did when starting last December. You can use it as a single stage until you get comfortable enough to utilize the turret. I decap, resize and prime single stage. Then drop powder, seat and crimp using turret. Good luck, you're going to enjoy it.

Welcome Joel.

Your Rock Chucker press will serve well enough for those 06 and 30-30 rounds but I can't see where you gain anything for 223/556 on a progressive press. Because in my view there is still too much case prep involved with the small bottlenecks. Depriming brass , removing crimps, sizing and then triming which then leaves just 3 operations; priming, powder charging and seating bullets. Basically 2 dies if you are using a Lee powder thru die..

My thought would be to get a Lee 4 hole turret press to load the 9mm and the 223/556. For the 223 I would load up the turret head with two 2 die sets and go to town.

Myself I have an old Lee 3 hole turret press the first hole is empty and I prime the cases on the press there, second position id the powder drop and third is the seating die. This method also allows me to remove the case and weigh check every case if I so feel the need,

Hi, Joel,
In your quest for powder measuring equipment, I believe you will need a couple essentials in addition to the powder measure and powder scale. For one, you will need a powder funnel. Make sure it is small enough to be useful for those little .223 necks and has a hole large enough to let the larger extruded powders like 4350 and 4831 pass through.
Secondly, get yourself a powder trickler. Precision and consistency are the names of the game when constructing accurate high powered rifle ammo.

I find an evening of reloading activities relaxing and extremely rewarding. Think safety first and speed last. Speed will, sooner or later, cost you in wasted time and components and possibly result in damage to a firearm or injury to yourself or a bystander. Thinking and working safely will never cost you anything!
I hope this is helpful.

BTW, welcome to the best and friendliest forum on the www!

When buying, don't forget to check the selling subforums.
Lotsa good stuff for same.

My 1st Dillon press was 2nd hand.
Outstanding value. I paid $150 for a 550.

@JoelHightower welcome to the forum. Lots of knowledge and experience here. I've been loading since the mid 80's, before internet forums, learned from reading books and by doing.

JoelHightower said:

Thanks for the advise, welcomes and the brass offer Bill. I have 250 9mm pieces. That should hold me for awhile. Looking forward to interacting with this group.

Click to expand...

Good on you for not wanting to hoard a freebie you already have some of. You'll be an asset here, I'm sure. I'll wait for the next noob to come along and make them the same offer, free brass as my way of paying it forward. I wish I could do it with sleeves of primers , but only for locals who need a push to get them started.

Bill

BCR#1 said:

Good on you for not wanting to hoard a freebie you already have some of. You'll be an asset here, I'm sure. I'll wait for the next noob to come along and make them the same offer, free brass as my way of paying it forward. I wish I could do it with sleeves of primers , but only for locals who need a push to get them started.

Bill

Click to expand...

Let 'em know at the "Pay It Forward" thread. I'm sure there is a newbie there that would appreciate the brass.
Just a thought...

JoelHightower said:

IMR 4895 I read that this power was developed for the 30 06. Anyone use this powder or any other suggestions?

Click to expand...

There's a myriad of powders that will work in all 3 however would not be optimal in each. H 4895, blc2, imr 4064 but only heavy bullets in the 223, and varget, there are others as well.

I started out using imr 4064, but haven't used it in 223 or even bought any in a few years.

JoelHightower said:

I think I have found a powder that will work for 30 30 30 06 and 556. I will be using 223 specs for the 556. IMR 4895 I read that this power was developed for the 30 06. Anyone use this powder or any other suggestions?

Click to expand...

I have some 4895 in the old metal can from the 90's but haven't used any. I also have numerous cans of 3031 that I do use in loading's for my two service rifles. I only shoot at steel from 1-300 yards so I don't need a super accurate paper punching load, so I just go with the minimum, 43gr of 3031 works fine on 8" and bigger plates. Rifles are a
SC 03A3 and an Eddystone M1917.

Bill

Welcome! Buy quality and buy once. Big savings and less frustration in the long run. A lesson hard learned by many .......including me.

I’ve never owned a progressive press in over 30 years of handloading, just a single stage Redding. I take my time with my loads and make sure each step is precisely done. I only load 100 rounds at a time, and it makes for a pleasant afternoon. I feel the primers after I seat them to make sure they are slightly below flush, and I visually check and double check all 100 rounds after charged with powder, to verify they are all uniform. Result: I’ve never had a misfire, squib load or double charge of powder. I have 100% confidence in the reliability and accuracy of my handloads